Cold case cracked: Hillsborough deputies identify remains found in a tent nearly 30 years ago

TAMPA, Fla. - Deputies with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office say they now know who was found dead inside a tent in April 1995.

Investigators say a man’s body was discovered with advanced stages of decomposition inside a tent on the northwest corner of Bearss Avenue and I-275 nearly 30 years ago.

While they were able to determine that the man died from natural causes, investigators did not know his identity.

There was no movement in the case until last May when detectives with HCSO's Cold Case Unit and Ortham Labs began looking into it.

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Othram Labs did forensic genealogy testing to identify the remains.

Since 1995, investigators have been trying to identify a man found dead in a tent in 1995. Image is courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

In April 2024, Othram Labs offered investigative leads and gave a possible name of Christopher Mammana. They said he was born in 1918, and his whereabouts and digital footprint disappeared in 1993.

Detectives said they found a headstone for Christopher Mammana at Easton Cemetery in Easton, Pennsylvania, but did not locate records of him being buried in the plot.

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Investigators tracked down leads and members of the Mammana family to put additional pieces together for the victim’s family tree.

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Mammana moved to Florida in the early 1990s after his wife, Connie, died. Investigators say he also had an address listed in Tampa in the early 1990s and wasn't heard from after he moved to Florida.

The body found in a tent in 1995 has been identified as Christopher "Charlie" Mammana. Image is courtesy of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

In June 2024, cold case investigators were able to locate two nieces of his nieces, who voluntarily gave DNA samples for comparison purposes.

On August 23, 2024, the Cold Case Unit positively identified the previously unknown human remains as belonging to Christopher "Charlie" Mammana.

"Despite the challenging circumstances and the lack of initial leads, the Cold Case Unit detectives persevered, determined to bring closure to this case," said Sheriff Chad Chronister. "To be able to identify someone that died nearly 30 years ago speaks to the commitment of our Cold Case Unit."

HCSO says the testing was funded through a state grant because of a collaboration with the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office.

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